African Cities Urged to Embrace Uptake of Soot-Free Buses

In the recent past, more populous cities in the continent are beginning to formalize their urban transport through mass rapid transit systems such as dedicated bus corridors. Mass rapid transit systems provide an efficient way of moving people around cities, reducing congestion, and when combined with cleaner bus technologies, can substantially reduce urban air pollution and mitigate climate change. In many African cities, investment in this area have largely been on infrastructure development and it is therefore important that cities begin looking at low and zero carbon technologies for the high occupancy buses. Internationally, cities in the developed world and some cities such as Santiago, Chile have embraced soot-free bus technologies from Euro IV diesel and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to battery electric buses. There are however underlying requirements for the adoption of soot free bus technologies. City and national authorities need to provide an enabling environment and overcome technical and financial barriers to the procurement of soot-free buses.

Through the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) funding to UNEP, UATP engaged a team of consultants led by Gershwin Transportation Consultants to develop guidelines for procurement and financing of soot free buses in African cities. These guidelines and the experiences from India and Chile among others were shared at the workshop.  A two-pronged approach to transitioning to soot free buses was proposed. The first approach looked at leapfrogging from the current bus technologies to battery-electric buses, while the second option looked at an incremental pathway where low carbon bus technologies were implemented initially before transitioning to battery-electric mobility.

Below are some recommendations from the workshop:

• Cities require to undertake the E-mobility readiness assessment to establish cities state of readiness towards soot free bus implementation;
• Cities need to develop a fleet strategy to address the barriers that inhibit the uptake of cleaner technologies including enabling environment, technical capacity and operational requirements, and financial and contractual requirements;
• Cities to incorporate soot-free bus technologies in their mass transport plans while considering available energy options (diesel, biofuels, CNG, electric mobility);
• Cities will need to incorporate cleaner technology as part of their procurement plans. There is need to set up a climate change strategy on transport;
• While cities consider transitioning to cleaner bus technologies, urban transport needs to be considered from a wider perspective that promotes public and non-motorized modes.
•  Cities will need strong financing and technical support to carry out the first pilot projects.

For more information see attached workshop documents in the documents and presentations section above.